iTunes Store Now Accepting Donations for Philippine Typhoon Relief - MacRumors
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iTunes Store Now Accepting Donations for Philippine Typhoon Relief

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Apple has launched a new page on its iTunes Store allowing users to easily donate money to the American Red Cross toward Super Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in the Philippines. The donation page, which is accessible through the main Apple.com page and the desktop iTunes Store, permits donations at the $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, and $200 levels.

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Apple will transfer 100% of each donation directly to the American Red Cross, allowing users to have their donations seamlessly billed to their existing iTunes Store accounts. With Apple currently holding over 500 million iTunes Store accounts with credit cards attached, the company has a very significant customer base that can take advantage of the donation program.

Apple has conducted several similar campaigns in the past, most recently in October 2012 following Superstorm Sandy, in March 2011 following the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and in January 2010 following the Haitian earthquakes.

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Top Rated Comments

dannyyankou Avatar
dannyyankou
162 months ago
Do not donate to the red cross. They hoard money. (http://gawker.com/5958176/the-coca+cola-of-disaster-relief-whats-the-red-cross-really-doing-for-hurricane-sandy)
So we shouldn't donate so they won't have ANY money to spend on ANY aid? Sounds like a smart idea.

I mean, if the way they do business means that they have billions of dollars ready for potential disasters, I'm all for that. As for them keeping 9% of the money, they need to get paid.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J
jjneff
162 months ago
Thanks Apple just gave $10.00 and it was a joy and so easy. Thank-u for using your system for such a good cause
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
japanime Avatar
japanime
162 months ago
Apple did the same thing after the horrific earthquake and tsunami struck Japan two and a half years ago. It's a fantastic gesture. I will be making my donation later today.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dumastudetto Avatar
dumastudetto
162 months ago
This is incredible generosity from Apple. And only Apple can do this. This is one of the reasons I'm proud to be an Apple consumer.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
MyDesktopBroke
162 months ago
You can use Charity Navigator to look the charity you're think about donating to.

For example, Save The Children (www.savethechildren.org/) gets 64/70 (http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4438). Doctors Without Borders gets 57 (http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3628). Red Cross gets 56 (http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3277)

There are many others to research, but any amount will help those in need in some way. Even if The Red Cross takes a bigger chunk for administrative purposes, they still spend a huge absolute amount on real aid.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
sransari
162 months ago
Does anyone know how a charity gets on that page? The red cross is notorious for not spending its money on the specific disaster in question, husbanding the money for something else. Also, the donation is to the American Red Cross, even though the Philippines has its own Red Cross organization. Why?

Thanks for mentioning all this so I don't have to...I really wish people would take more care when selecting charities. There are many better charities out there than the red cross, whose CEO makes over a million bux each year.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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